Professor Walter Ricciardi is a leading figure in European and global public health. He is a Professor of Hygiene and Public Health at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome. He has held numerous influential roles, including serving as the Scientific Advisor to the Italian Minister of Health during the coronavirus pandemic and as President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations. Professor Ricciardi is also the President of the European Commission's Mission Board for Cancer. He is the author of hundreds of academic papers and serves as editor for several public health journals, including the European Journal of Public Health.